My research interests are in the area of exercise psychology, body image, and self-presentation. This includes investigating the impact of body image and self-presentation on psychological states and health behaviours, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

I am available to supervise PhD and Master's graduate students, undergraduate thesis and independent study students.

Associate Professor

Department of Kinesiology

Director of SeniorFit at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being

Current Graduate Students

Lindsay Cline

PhD Candidate: September 2012-February 2017

Lindsay's research focuses on the complex relationship between body weight and body image. Her Master’s work looked at the association between appearance-related commentary and body image. Her PhD dissertation extends from this, but now with a focus on positive body image characteristics. She will examine how weight trajectory (i.e., the process of gaining, losing or maintaining weight) relates to positive body image. She will be interviewing women about their weight loss experiences and also examining whether body appreciation can work as a buffer to reduce weight bias impressions. Her research philosophy centres around the Health at Every Size® paradigm. Lindsay is currently a recipient of the SSHRC-Doctoral Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship. For further information, please email Lindsay at: [email protected]

Aly Bailey

PhD Candidate: September 2014-present​

Aly's research interests include exploring and promoting positive body image experiences in people with physical disabilities and older adults. For her dissertation, she has worked together with members of the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being to develop and test and implement a positive body image program that can be adapted by other organizations. Check out the program website at: http://bias.my-free.website/. She has completed all her research and is now writing her final document with plans to finish in the spring 2018.

She has also worked with Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and the Niagara Centre for Independent Living where she also plans to implement positive body image programs in future studies. She is currently a recipient of the SSHRC-Doctoral Fellowship which is tremendously helping her along in her studies.

If you are interested in her research or have your own research ideas, Aly is available to co-supervise undergraduate thesis and independent study students ([email protected]).

Michelle Dimas

Master's Student: September 2013-2017

Michelle completed her Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from Brock University and is currently completing her Master's of Science. Michelle’s graduate thesis is conducted in the field of exercise psychology and body image, focusing on how psychological consequences such as body shame, interoceptive awareness and anxiety can increase state self-objectification and in turn impede on physical performance. Based on research evidence, it is hypothesized that increased self-objectification will result in poorer physical performance on tasks. Michelle hopes these findings can in turn assist in the development of coping strategies for athletes who may be faced with these various psychological consequences.

Alyssa Jackson

Master's Student: September 2015-present

Alyssa is in her first year of her Master's program. She is interested in the research area of exercise intervention of older adults. She is also interested in research surrounding older adults and fall prevention and balance strategies. She has been a volunteer in the Brock SeniorFit Program and she really enjoyed working with the participants. She hopes to explore these areas of research during her graduate degree at Brock University.

Past Graduate Students

Aidan SmythMaster's Student: September 2014-2016Former President of the Graduate Student Association

Aidan recently graduated from Concurrent Education at Brock University. His research focused on the relationship between men’s body image and weight training. Aidan’s research interests stem from his involvement in competitive sports and working in the fitness industry from the age of 15. Aidan was a recipient of the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship. He is currenlty supply teaching in Ottawa.

Jermel Pierre

Master's Student: September 2013-2016

Jermel Pierre is a second year Master's student. His current line of research investigates the effects of music on physical activity, more specifically self-selected music and how it affects cognitive and physical outcomes. For his future endeavors, he would like to assess the role of emotional regulation on individual self-determination within a physical activity setting. Outside of research, he is an avid sports fan and enjoys movies (Disney Pixar) and music. His ultimate goal is to set foot on all seven continents and if at all possible see the Earth while in orbit.

Dr. Larkin Lamarche

Post-Doctoral Fellow 2013-2014, Brock University

Research Coordinator, McMaster University

Dr. Larkin Lamarche's research program focuses on understanding what happens when people encounter body image situations from a psychobiological perspective. She completed her PhD at the University of Toronto and her post-doctoral research under Dr. Gammage's supervision. Currently, she is a Research Coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University for the Health TAPESTRY project - a Health Canada funded study aimed at understanding the integration of technology, trained community volunteers, interprofessional healthcare teams and system navigation to foster optimal aging of older adults. She is also studying a version of this approach in frail elderly in British Columbia and in Sturgeon Lake First Nation. She, among many other researchers in TAPESTRY across Canada, hope to change how primary healthcare is delivered. Visit: http://healthtapestry.ca/

Christyn OdaMaster's Student: September 2011 - October 2013

Christyn’s research at Brock examined 66 college-aged women who reported exercising 2 or fewer days per week. They were given false positive, false negative, or no verbal feedback, reflecting their likelihood of adhering to an exercise program that fulfills ACSM’s current guidelines (30 minutes per day, 3 days per week). A four-week follow-up questionnaire was administered to determine the effects on self-efficacy, exercise intention, and exercise behaviour.Christyn is currently working as a Fitness & Wellness Coordinator for an investment company in Toronto. Her research background has helped her tremendously in the corporate wellness field, allowing her to effectively plan, promote, and implement a wide variety of fitness and wellness initiatives for 600 employees. From teaching fitness classes to coordinating monthly fitness challenges to conducting lunch & learns, Christyn greatly owes her success to Kim’s guidance.

Miranda Cloudt

Master's Student: September 2012 - 2014

Miranda conducted research on the existing perceptions and stereotypes that people hold towards individuals who have suffered a myocardial infarction. The results of her research supported other literature that found apparent perceptions and stereotypes towards individuals with acute or chronic health conditions. These findings can be used to educate individuals, particularly those in healthcare professions (e.g., nurses, physiotherapists), about the consequences associated with holding negative perceptions. Upon graduating in 2014, she began working in the clinical field of kinesiology and behavioural therapy.

Brianne Ozimok

Master's Student: September 2012 - 2014

Brianne's Master's thesis focused on male body image, particularly how social-evaluative body image threats affected different psychobiological responses in college-aged men. These responses included cortisol, social physique anxiety, body dissatisfaction and body shame. The results of her study concluded that when college-aged males were faced with a social-evaluative body image threat consisting of their bodies being on display in front of an ideal male and female while assessments of strength and body fat were conducted were more dissatisfied with their bodies. They also had greater levels of body shame, social physique anxiety and higher cortisol levels compared to men who were not exposed to the social-evaluative threat. After her Master's she completed her Dietetic Internship through the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and is currently working as a Registered Dietitian at the Barrie Sports Medicine Clinic.

Sarah Kennedy

Master's Student: September 2012 - February 2015

Sarah's research primarily focused on examining two distinct leadership styles of personal trainers and their effects on exercise-related outcomes. Participants in the enriched leadership style condition reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment and intention to exercise. Participants in the bland leadership style condition reported significantly higher levels of social anxiety. These findings help us to better understand the positive approaches and leadership styles personal trainers can adopt to ensure positive weight training experiences for novice females.

During her academic career she worked at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, as well as Motion Physio. This upcoming fall she is excited to join the research team at McMaster University in the Department of Medicine.

Carly CameronMaster's Student: September 2013 - October 2015

During her Master's she investigated whether teaching inactive and low active women to use mirrors for form and technique purposes could lessen the negative impact of mirrors on self-presentational concerns, affect, and self-efficacy. She is currently working at Niagara Region Public Health, assisting with youth engagement initiatives and campaign development for tobacco prevention. Her favourite food groups are peanut butter and nutella, has bungee jumped off the highest jump in North America reaching 200ft, her favourite place is Nashville, TN., and she plays a mean right wing in her hockey league. Carly was a recipient of the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canadian Graduate Scholarship for her Master's research.

Scott CrozierMaster's Student: September 2010 - 2012

Scott Crozier graduated from Brock University in 2012 with a MSc. in Applied Health Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Kim Gammage and Dr. David Gabriel. His thesis study manipulated social comparisons through trainer musculature and expertise during one-repetition maximum chest press and leg press tests to examine the effects on body-related social anxiety and maximal strength performance. He is currently living in Ottawa working as the Eastern Ontario Territory Sales Manager for a medical device organization.

Breanne Drouin

Master's Student: September 2007-2011

Breanne started working in the lab in 2007, when she began working on her M.A. in Applied Health Sciences. Her research focused on body image attitudes in non-exercising college females. For post-graduate studies, she continued her studies with a Bachelor of Education teaching Physical Education and English at the intermediate/senior level. In 2014, she packed up her life in Ontario and moved to Victoria, BC where she just recently landed a dream job as the Athletic Director at an all-girls independent school. Outside of work, she has continued to pursue athletics and spend the majority of her time training on the beautiful West Coast and racing in various long distance triathlons and marathons/ultramarathons in North America.

Emma Gibbons

Master's Student: September 2004-2006

Emma's research focused on physical attractiveness and its perceived influence on competency and knowledge on sportscasters. Although many people who are physically attractive excel in life she was researching whether this also influenced the audiences' perceptions of competence.

Currently, she works at Mohawk College as the Interim Director for Continuing Education. She has worked at Mohawk for 8 years in various rolls with each being a stepping stone from her Master's at Brock University. Without having the opportunity to study at Brock she wouldn’t have the time management, project management, or communication skills she possesses today. The program allowed her to own her learning opportunities and create her own path in success.